Elk in a Northwestern Forest
Illinois State Museum DioramaClick on active areas for closeups and more information.

Northwestern Forest - Jo Daviess County, 1673

This scene depicts an early October day in northwestern Illinois. This
area has some of the oldest exposed rock formations in Illinois. The
bedrock formed about 450 million years ago. Streams and rivers have cut
valleys and canyons with spectacular bedrock cliffs. Wapiti, also known
as elk, roamed among hardwood forest mixed with pockets of prairie. White
and black oak dominate dry areas. Sugar maple, basswood, and red oak
grow on the moister sites. White pine and paper birch grow on cool, shaded
slopes and cliffs. Exposures of dolomite provide habitat for lichens,
mosses, and ferns.

This reconstruction is based on historic records, archaeological evidence,
and studies of the geology and ecology of the Wisconsin Driftless Division
near Galena.